Cagliari residents: "Monte Urpinu is languishing: inertia is the biggest problem."

"Inertia is the main factor in the whole situation." A stroll along the paths of Monte Urpinu is enough to understand that that phrase, uttered by an elderly park regular, perfectly encapsulates the sentiment shared by those who daily visit one of Cagliari's most beloved spots.

Families, runners, seniors, and students agree: "Monte Urpinu Park is no longer what it used to be."

Dry grass, old, often poorly maintained playground equipment. But also dead trees, fallen branches that have never been removed, and entire areas left to decay.

"It's a shadow of its former self," visitors say bitterly, recalling that many of the now dying trees were planted with public funds. "What we see," they add, "is the epitome of citizens' waste of money."

The reports are multiplying. For over three weeks, a water leak has been seeping through the trees, yet it hasn't been repaired. The small bridge connecting two areas of the park has been closed for over six months, awaiting repairs that haven't arrived. Meanwhile, children's playground equipment is disappearing: old ones are being removed and not replaced, while the remaining structures show obvious signs of wear.

The state of the vegetation is also a cause for concern. "More and more large trees—holm oaks, cypresses, and other species—are dry or visibly diseased," residents report, calling for serious maintenance and phytosanitary control.

And then there's the issue of "ghost" construction: " They start without signs, stop without explanation, and never finish." A scenario that's repeated just a few meters from the park, where the new school was supposed to be completed in June 2024 but is still a construction site.

Finally, the issue of water. "If that's the problem, why wait to connect the purification plant to the parks?" asks Grandpa Giorgio, while walking with his granddaughter. "Wastewater reuse has been discussed for 15 years, the project is ready and available. So why isn't it being used?"